Show us your radios!

[Mr. 'H']

Here are my latest acquisitions, a both are Bush radios. I actually got both radios from a classmate who knew I was interested in the Era.

First up, a lovely 1949 Bush radio. Just look at the inscription on the top of the radio, from a retirement present (my classmate's wife's gran-uncle's retirement).

I can't wait to get this one cranked up - it looks like it still works, I just need to fix the line cord.

 

[Mr. 'H']

And second up is another Bush radio:

My own modern reproduction is the darker one. I've had this for years - it's an excellent radio and in fact isn't so much a "repro" as it is the same company just producing the same radio to the same specifications.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Not quite sure what model Zenith it is.

Hummm, not sure what model that is either... but it's early! I'd say 1934-35 I see what looks to be a "shadow indicator" a pre "magic-eye" type of method used to show how tuned in a station was.

Swell Zenith, the early sets are beautiful as well as the popular 37-40 black dial sets.

I have taken photos of the 1929-30ish Crosley high-boy I picked up on Saturday, it works but could use a new cord... I'll take photos of that so you all can truly appreciate how much it needs a new cord lol.

There are pre-purchase photos in the Crosley Radio thread: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=37056&page=4

Going to start to take more photos of radios I have... after the holidays.

 

[Forgotten Man]

On old thread, but what the heck.

Here's my Philco. My grandparents bought it in '35 or '36. They lived on a farm with no electricity in those days, so it was battery powered. Unfortunately my uncles took it apart in the 50's and the chassis probably got tossed. Can't find it anywhere. My grandma gave it to me in the early 90's. I stripped it and refinished it but it was one of my first pieces so it was just ok. I've learned alot in the last 18 years, so I decided to freshen it up a bit with new cloth and some knobs and a new shellac finish. I'm on the hunt for a chassis to put in it, but no luck yet.

I also have a working Silvertone tombstone radio. I don't have any pics of it and it is tucked away in storage at the moment. I have a WWII radio as well, and it works. I was never 100% sure it was WWII, because it is SO NICE. It's perfect. But then I was watching a show about some vets going back to Iwo Jima and in some of the vintage footage, there was my radio! I'll get some pics.

Picked up this pile for $15. It's a Coronado. It needs some veneer work and the chassis needs gone through. Who knows when I'll get to it, if ever, but for $15? Hell, I spend that on lunch some days! Needless to say, my wife was less than thrilled! Hahaha!

Say, that's a nice Philco! Those knobs look Delco to me; I refinished a radio for a friend that had the same knobs... it was a Delco table model. I know Antique Electric Supply offer reproductions of the octagon cut knobs that Philco used in late 34-35 models. And originals pop up on eBay ever so often... I picked up a set of four for my '35 Philco low-boy.

Say, that Coronado console is pretty neat and pretty rare! Ya really don't see many of those around. I would have been like you had I find one for $15. bucks! Sure, some flack would ensue from the woman but, eh.[huh] $15. bucks! lol

PS: That '36 Ford is pretty swell... Some day I want a '35 Ford Phaeton!

 

[Radio Dazed]

Since I'm a 'do-it-yourselfer', I like vintage homebrewed radios.

Here's an early '20s one tube Regenerative receiver. Back then they were all battery powered. The '01A tube is a bit new showing a date of Nov. 28 1927.

Here's an early 5 tube TRF set built from a kit. I love the blue silk insulated basket weave coils. The builder did a fantastic job too.
UPS almost destroyed it in shipping. I had to replace the front panel and repair the wiring. The wiring is solid copper buss wire, cross section is square not round.

The last is a cute little one tube space charged regen portable. It uses a 1Q5 tube, 1.5v filament (D-cell) and 12v B+ (AA-cells). I bought this for $20 at an Amateur Radio swapmeet. There were no batteries in it but I did find a hand drawn schematic and battery list in the little compartment in the lower left under the batteries. The first batteries were installed Dec. 26 1947. I think it was a Christmas present. On the front is ingraved the name of the owner on the lower left and the builder lower right. They both have the same last name so I'm assuming a service man fresh form WWII built this for his son. The last batteries on the list were installed in 1973.

John

 

[Forgotten Man]

Wow John, what amazing pieces those are! The photos illustrate some beautiful wiring... I've never seen blue basket woven coils! Those are something else! Oh, and don't get me started on UPS! Those guys work hard but, have little to no respect for "FRAGILE" signs... that's their code for "KICK ME HARD" Jerks.

Wonderful pieces, I'm very impressed! :eusa_clap

 

[Radio Dazed]

Thanks Forgotton Man!

If you like those homebrew radios then you might like this little gem I built.
It's called a Hikers Two from New Zeland. A parts supplier in NZ back in the '30s issued parts catalogs with schematics to build simple radios. This is my adaptation.
It's a protable battery powered shortwave set. I wound four plug in coils to cover the shortwave bands. These are simple sets as can be seen from my schematic and are a blast to build.

 

[Radio Dazed]

Here's a couple photos of the first vintage set I built. Plans are from a Jan. 1929 'Radio News' magazine. It's an AM band receiver. A few photos of the radio, magazine cover and image of the radio from the magazine.

All parts are original 1920's except for some hardware and wood.

Here's my second vintage radio. Built from plans in QST magazine, Nov. 1929. This set covers from about 1200kc (top of AM band) to 4.5mc with two plug in coils. this includes the 160 meter and 80 meter Amateur bands and a little shortwave too. AM, single sideband and Morse Code are easily received with this radio.
All parts are original period, even the wood on this receiver was salvaged from an old '20s parts radio. What I call radio recycling.

Being an Amateur Radio operator myself, I decided to build a vintage transmitter to go with the QST receiver. Here is a couple photos of the 1929 QST receciver and a one tube transmitter from an early '30s Frank Jones Radio Handbook. The transmitter is crystal controlled, it took two years of searching to find vintage crystals. It puts out about 7-8 watts of RF using a #46 tube, CW only (morse code).

I have other sets of a little more modern design I've built, if anyone's interested I can post photos. If not, I'll not.

John

 

[airgrabber666]

Here are some of mine:

'37 Silvertone:

'47 Detrola:

Crosley:

DeWald:

Zenith:

 

[airgrabber666]

some more
'46 Philco:

'47 Westinghouse "Fridge" with Zenith:

RCA:

Crosley Jeweler's Radio:

Zenith "Racetrack":

Coronado "Moon & Stars":

 

[airgrabber666]

tired yet? Here's a few more:

Crosley "Bullseye":

Croslet "Bullseye":

Zenith 10-S-464:

my only transistor, other than a Crosley book radio:

Oldest radio, I did find a replacement dial cover:

 

[Forgotten Man]

Here are some of mine:

'37 Silvertone:

I have a '37 or '38 Silvertone much the same, slightly different model but, same tele-dial and drum dial with "magic eye".

It needs restoration and I hope to do that some day... I rescued it from my friend's radio shop... just sat there with no attention from anyone... I felt bad for it... It's such a neat design.

 

[airgrabber666]

Forgotten Man, your model looks like a 10-tube Silvertone 4786. Very nice piece. Wish you might post some better pics of it. My Silvertone (model 4787, with 12 tubes) was a $15 eBay purchase...just had to drive to pick it up. It also needs restoration, but I am a sucker for the "tele dial" tuning wheel and the art-deco grille design.

I learned a lot about my radio from the Antique Radio Forums (ARF). Check out some good Silvertone info here, on my thread: http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=119533&highlight=

and here: http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=120059&highlight=

and don't miss the Silvertone Gallery: http://www.sfhobbies.com/sfhobbies/radio/

 

[Forgotten Man]

$15. on eBay??? Lucky! I paid $150... I really must have felt bad for that radio to pay that for a set that needs veneer work and needs to be repaired! Doesn't even work. lol What can I say, the tele-dial and streamline design just got the better of my wallet. lol

I'm trying to talk myself into keeping it, since I bought that Crosley, I've been trying to talk myself into selling off a few pieces to make more room in the house. Deep down I don't want to sell it because I do intend to restore it at some point... which was my original intent.

Oh well, I'll try and take some better photos of it so I can post them here for you.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Here's a couple photos of the first vintage set I built. Plans are from a Jan. 1929 'Radio News' magazine. It's an AM band receiver. A few photos of the radio, magazine cover and image of the radio from the magazine.

All parts are original 1920's except for some hardware and wood.

Here's my second vintage radio. Built from plans in QST magazine, Nov. 1929. This set covers from about 1200kc (top of AM band) to 4.5mc with two plug in coils. this includes the 160 meter and 80 meter Amateur bands and a little shortwave too. AM, single sideband and Morse Code are easily received with this radio.
All parts are original period, even the wood on this receiver was salvaged from an old '20s parts radio. What I call radio recycling.

Being an Amateur Radio operator myself, I decided to build a vintage transmitter to go with the QST receiver. Here is a couple photos of the 1929 QST receciver and a one tube transmitter from an early '30s Frank Jones Radio Handbook. The transmitter is crystal controlled, it took two years of searching to find vintage crystals. It puts out about 7-8 watts of RF using a #46 tube, CW only (morse code).

I have other sets of a little more modern design I've built, if anyone's interested I can post photos. If not, I'll not.

John

Such beautiful work! I love these photos... to build a radio out of antique parts... amazing! I just love that!

Keep it comin'!

 

[Radio Dazed]

If you insist.

Here's one of my latest projects.
It's a design by Walter C. Doerle called the 'Signal Gripper'. The plans are from a 1934 'Shortwave Craft' magazine. It's a shortwave receiver using three sets of plug in coils to cover all the bands from 110 - 19 meters.
The cabinet is from a 1926 Kolster, it needs a little refinishing.

 

[airgrabber666]

$15. on eBay??? Lucky! I paid $150... I really must have felt bad for that radio to pay that for a set that needs veneer work and needs to be repaired! Doesn't even work. lol What can I say, the tele-dial and streamline design just got the better of my wallet. lol

I'm trying to talk myself into keeping it, since I bought that Crosley, I've been trying to talk myself into selling off a few pieces to make more room in the house. Deep down I don't want to sell it because I do intend to restore it at some point... which was my original intent.

Oh well, I'll try and take some better photos of it so I can post them here for you.

I'm sure $150 was a good deal for its condition. Mine needs veneer replacement on the top. Thankfully, the piece is just a plain rectangle in shape, so I will attempt my own repair. The rest of the cabinet really needs to be stripped and refinished. Grillecloth is intact but needs to be cleaned. Missing 2 of the tele-dial push button retainers. Your 4786 is a fine radio, and other owners of same have given positive reviews regarding its performance. These 1930's era Silvertones have wonderful design elements to their cabinets and the rotating-drum (or rolling pin) dial and deserved to be saved and enjoyed. I hope you restore yours, and I eagerly await some better pictures of same.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Well, like you there is veneer missing on the top of this set and some other spots are coming up some. The once tone-lacquer spots off to the side of the dial and around the grill and base need to be re sprayed... the whole thing needs to be re-done like yours.

Someday I hope to get it done... it has that unique speaker shroud in the back... a very unique radio.

 

[Radio Dazed]

Here are a couple more radios I built.

These both use the #49 tube. The tubes operate in what is known as 'Space Charge Mode'. So not to get too techincal and boring, I'll just say that Space Charge allows the tube to operate with very low voltages on the plate. In fact the first radio here, with the single #49 tube, only uses two batteries: one 'D' cell for filament and one 9 volt battery for plate and grid voltage. The second one uses just another 9 volt battery.This makes a very safe radio to operate and display especially for children.

Both of these are from Popular Mechanics articles. The first radio Is for the AM band, it is from a 1936 article 'One tube set works on flashlight batteries'. The second radio is a combination of two articles. In 1937 they had an article for a one tube audio amp using the #49 tube and in 1938 was the 'DX shortwave set' using the same tube.

'One tube set works on flashlight batteries'

'DX shortwave set'

Tubes removed to show buss wire detail.

 

[Radio Dazed]

Ended up making a cabinet for the 'DX shortwave set' with built in battery box. Cabinet is solid birch.